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    Correcting this week’s misinformation: week of September 26, 2024

    Did vaccines injure Alexis Lorenze?

    The Claim:

    A viral video, Alexis claims that after receiving three vaccines for meningitis, pneumonia, and tetanus, she experienced a severe reaction, including swelling and pain, which she believes worsened her condition, Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH).

    The Facts:

    Alexis has a rare condition called Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH), where her immune system attacks her red blood cells, causing them to burst. This can lead to serious issues like blood clots and liver failure. According to her TikToks and medical records, Alexis had been feeling sick for weeks before finally going to the hospital. She claims that doctors wouldn’t treat her unless she got certain vaccines. So why would doctors insist she get vaccinated in her condition?

    Because PNH treatment can greatly increase the risk of serious infections, it’s standard medical practice to give vaccines for diseases like meningococcal and pneumococcal before starting treatment.

    Alexis believes that a rash that appeared within 10 minutes of receiving the vaccines proves the vaccines caused her injuries. However, it’s unlikely that a vaccine could cause a reaction that quickly. A more probable explanation is the parvovirus B19 infection she tested positive for, as this virus has been known to cause similar symptoms. Additionally, her lab results show she was already experiencing blood clotting problems, which could explain the bruising she developed.

    Did CDC hold a secret meeting to hide vaccine harms?

    The Claim:

    In a video, RFK Jr. claims that diseases like autism and autoimmune disorders increased after 1989, linking them to the hepatitis B vaccine given within the first 30 days of life, and alleges that health officials held a secret meeting to cover up these findings from the public.

    The Facts:

    To drum up concerns, vaccine opponents have to travel back in time and make dull government meetings look nefarious. Such is the case with Simpsonwood.

    The 2000 Simpsonwood CDC conference was a two-day meeting organized by the CDC to discuss data from the Vaccine Safety Datalink regarding the possible link between the mercury compound thimerosal in vaccines and neurological issues in vaccinated children. Attendees included experts in various fields, public health organizations, and pharmaceutical companies.

    The conference gained notoriety in the anti-vaccination movement when RFK Jr. wrote an article in 2005 alleging a conspiracy to withhold vaccine safety information. However, the article contained numerous factual errors, leading to its retraction.

    In 2007, the Senate HELP Committee reviewed the allegations against the CDC and found they had mostly no merit. It was found that the CDC did not interfere with vaccine safety studies, and the review groups did not rely on manipulated studies.

    Four other allegations were also not substantiated, including claims that the CDC convened the Simpsonwood Conference to cover up findings, pressured Dr. Thomas Verstraeten to change his findings, hid the Vaccine Safety Datalink, or organized public health organizations to hide a link between vaccines and autism. And we know that vaccines do not cause autism.

    And for what it’s worth, the Hepatitis B vaccine is one of the safest, with the fewest possible side effects. The most likely side effects are just pain and soreness at the injection site, without any documented serious side effects.

    If the hep B vaccine causes any serious side effects, they are extremely rare—so rare that we haven’t found any in several millions of doses. Because the vaccine is safe and there’s a risk of getting infected at birth or during infancy, we give this vaccine right at birth.

    Do vaccines cause terminal cancer?

    The Claim:

    video going around features Dr. William Makis, who claims that, since the rollout of the COVID vaccines, there has been a significant increase in young people, particularly women in their 20s, presenting with aggressive stage 4 cancers, such as breast and colon cancer.

    The Facts:

    Makis claims that he is seeing more patients with sudden onset stage 4 cancers in their 20s. It’s really important to know that his medical license is inactive, so he is not seeing patients. His evidence is not based in epidemiological, scientific, or personal experience.

    Secondly, breast cancers, even stage 4, are not new. According to this study, “breast cancer is the most common cancer of adolescents and young adult (AYA) women aged 15 to 39 years, accounting for 5.6% of all invasive breast cancer in women.” Additionally, younger women are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer than older women.

    Additionally, no evidence supports the claim that COVID vaccines cause so-called turbo cancer or any other form of cancer. The idea that these turbo cancers are a result of vaccines stems, in part, from claims that doctors are seeing huge spikes in cancer rates. However, even some of the most powerful carcinogens can take years to manifest in the form of cancer. While there has been an increase in early-onset cancers (not turbo cancer), this increase started in the early 1990s, well before the introduction of COVID vaccines.

    COVID vaccines are not shown to cause cancer, and those peddling misinformation have yet to produce credible evidence the vaccine is causing turbo cancers.

    Disclaimer: Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved too since this was originally posted. Be sure to check out our most recent posts and browse the latest Just the Facts Topics for the latest.

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